§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he will now state the name of the member of the Government who sent the official communication to The Times, newspaper that the King had been pleased to approve of the issue of the second part of the War Office (Re-construction) Committee Report; and whether that communication was made by this member of the Government as a Departmental act or with the approval and sanction of the Cabinet in its collective capacity.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.The lion. Member is labouring under a mistake. The War Office Committee was, in the first instance, appointed with the King's approval. The first part of the Report was published on 1st February with the announcement, "The King has been pleased to approve of the issue of the Report of the War Office Committee," etc. The second part was issued in exactly the same form, except that, as I am given to 764 understand, one of the Press agencies failed to put in their copy the official notification. The proceedings were perfectly regular, and the King's approval was notified in The Times, the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Chronicle, Morning Post,, and other papers.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLWas it the War Secretary who sent out the Report?
§ [No answer was returned.]
§ MR SWIFT MACNEILLI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury if lie will state why was the introductory sentence that the King has been pleased to approve of the issue of Part II. of the Report of the War Office Reconstruction Committee supplied officially with that Report to some of the organs of the Press, and withheld from other organs of the Press; and what explanation, if any, is there for withholding the notification of the King's approval from any section of the Press, and on what principle was this difference of treatment based.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have already replied to the Question.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI did not understand the reply.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI want to know why was the official notification of the King's approval of the issue of this War Committee's Report given to one section of the Press—The Times,—and withheld from another section.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe hon. Gentleman is wrong both in the facts which he states, and the facts he omits. The Times, was not the only paper to which it was given. All the papers which did not receive it failed to receive it because their agents did not appear and get the ordinary official notification.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLHow was it that these papers got all the official reports except that which had the imprimatur of the King's approval, which was given to the right hon. Gentleman's own Press.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt was not given to one section. I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman regards the Daily Chronicle, as an ardent supporter of the Government. That paper got the report.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLThe Times, and the Daily Telegraph, got it.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDDid the Standard, get it?
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLNo, they did not.